Puchberg am Schneeberg

Puchberg am Schneeberg is a town in south-eastern Lower Austria at the foot of the Schneeberg (2,076 m), the highest mountain of Lower Austria.

We have always enjoyed the tranquillity of Puchberg after the tension of Budapest, and have visited the town several times either in the spring or autumn. Our pension, Gasthof Schmirl, must rank as one of the best in Austria in terms of hospitality, cuisine and comfort.

Much of Puchberg was built in the 18th and 19th centuries as the region became a resort area for the Viennese upper classes seeking to escape the city in summer, and it still serves as a nature retreat today. Puchberg suffered during World War II as the Soviet/Nazi front passed right through it, although fortunately many of its beautiful and historic buildings survived.

At the centre of Puchberg is a pond surrounded by a park. The pond contains trout, ducks and swans, all of which you can see from the rowing boats available for rent. Two cafes overlook the lake and most festivals such as the national day and the August Volksfest take place here. There is also an outdoor stage where music and theatre are available free of charge most weekends and some weekday evenings in the summer. In the winter the lake freezes over and it is available for ice-skating.

A cog-wheeled train takes you up the mountain. You can have you choice of a 100-year old steam-powered train or a diesel-electric Salamander one. The steam train when it was first built was a technical marvel and the emperor Franz Joseph came out to inspect and ride in it. The top of Schneeberg is mostly flat. There is also a hotel at the mountain top train station and an alpine Gasthaus at the half-way point that serves excellent traditional Austrian cuisine. On the peak you will see spectacular views of the surrounding valleys. The air and snow is very clean and serves as the source of the region's water supply. Snowmelt from Schneeberg was also the source of the Emperor's drinking water, and he sent a rider out every day to pick up his supply.

Puchberg environs include the Hohe Wand, a high cliff network good for hiking and rock climbing, two waterfalls including one over 30 m high, caves, alpine lakes and fields, multiple mountains and trails that pass through all of them as well as some of the neighbouring farms. In addition to hiking, mountain biking is popular and an alpine school offers excursions and lessons in mountain climbing, skiing, snowboarding.